Jhonattan Vegas gives back to Venezuela

In Maturin – Vegas’ home city, located along the eastern coast of Venezuela – food is scarce. As is medicine, as well as medical supplies in general.

A three-time winner on the PGA TOUR and longtime Texas resident, Vegas was looking for a way to help back home.

In Cuatro Por Venezuela, he found one.

Vegas is awarding a portion of his donation from the 2017 Presidents Cup at Liberty National to the nonprofit, which is dedicated to identifying local relief programs and the specific needs of Venezuelans.

“Thanks to the Presidents Cup,” Vegas said, “I have been able to donate all of my funds to foundations doing humanitarian work for the people of Venezuela. As a Venezuelan, I felt the duty to help my country, which is going through the worst time in its history. People are dying of hunger, lack of medicine and crime. Being able to use this platform to help my countrymen has been one of the biggest joys of my life and I hope this contribution can save many lives.”

“We would like to thank Jhonattan for his generosity and contribution to our cause,” said Gloria Mattiuzzi, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Cuatro Por Venezuela. “Although he has been far from Venezuela for so many years, he is very sensitive to what is going on in the country. His beautiful gesture to help his hometown shows you what a wonderful heart he has.”

Cuatro Por Venezuela was founded by Mattiuzzi, Gabriela Rondón, Maria Elena Texeira, and Carolina Febres – four Venezuelan women living in the United States. The organization is dedicated to creating programs and partnerships to deliver relief to any corner of the national territory of Venezuela.

At Vegas’ request, a portion of the supplies provided via his donation will go directly to Maturin.

“We are partnering with a local foundation called Angeles Guardianes, which works with sick children in Maturin,” Mattiuzzi said. “With this generous donation, we can send basic goods such as formula and diapers along with life-saving medicine and medical supplies.”

Since 2016 – when Cuatro Por Venezuela was founded – there has been a shortage of food, medicine and medical supplies in Venezuela. This applies to all area hospitals, both public and private, making it very difficult for patients with chronic diseases to continue with their treatment.

Consequently, the quality of life for patients has been deeply affected. In acute cases, such as medical or surgical emergencies, the situation can be dramatic, as the basic medical supplies needed to make a diagnosis or perform surgeries are often unavailable.

“We will use Jhonattan’s gift to purchase medicine that is nearly impossible to find in Venezuela,” Mattiuzzi said, “namely immunosuppressive medicines for people who have recently undergone an organ transplant and cancer medicine for children with leukemia.”

The 2019 Presidents Cup will be held on December 9-15, 2019, when it returns to the prestigious Royal Melbourne Golf Club. The return to the State of Victoria, Australia, will mark the third time in the biennial event’s 25-year history. To find hospitality opportunities, information on travel packages, and ticket options, please visit www.presidentscup.com.